Vampire to Devil Knight
by PaleRider365
Summary: He couldn't be allowed to suffer anymore for her. After the Ghoul incident, Moka returns Tsukune to the human world with the promise that he will never return to the world of monsters. Forced to attend Kouh Academy, a bitter Tsukune has a run in with a pervert and his girlfriend and ends up dying because of it. Rias Gremory had no idea of who she possessed in her peerage.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I have no claim of ownership over Rosario + Vampire, or High School DxD

**Author's Note:** This is the last story I'll be posting for at least a month. My priority is school right now, so don't expect a quick update on any of my stories.

**Quote:** "There's one last thing you should never forget, Ise. Even a [Pawn] can take down the [King]. This is basic in chess. This truth also applies for the Devils' chess pieces. You can become stronger"- Rias Gremory

**Prologue**

**Fallen**

She had almost lost him today.

She stood silently in the hospital room, ignoring the hushed conversations of her friends and focusing on the object of her affections. Moonlight peeked through the open window and the occasional chirp or howl of the occupants that lived outside the academy echoed inside as a silent reminder that one of them did not belong in this world. She twirled a silver lock, her face impassive as ever with the beginnings of a scowl starting to form. None of the girls could have possibly noticed how she truly felt. Her crimson eyes were wet with tears that refused to be shed.

Aono Tsukune, her best friend, and the light in her life, was resting in a hospital bed with multiple bandages covering his body like a mummy. His right arm lay outstretched to the side, hanging off the mattress with the image of someone that had just passed. A golden holy lock was wrapped around it tightly with fresh, brand new, links holding it together. Her body ached and begged for rest, but she refused to move from her position and reattach the rosary. Her red eyes focused on his face, taking in the new scratches and bruises that had been added to it, courtesy of _her_. Most of the injuries that covered her body came from her hand and her hand alone.

She herself had not been spared and her body ached more than it ever had before in her entire life, but she stood resolute. Her fingers trembled with uncontrollable anger and grief, and she found that her pride had failed her when she felt wetness on her cheeks. She was supposed to have died today. That was the intention of Anti-thesis, that was their mission. Her outer self-had been caught off guard and she had known that she would die. But fate wouldn't allow it. _He_ would not allow her an early demise. Her sweet, honorable, and stupidly noble Tsukune had sacrificed his very body to ensure her survival. She had been forced to endure a pain far greater than any physical damage she could receive.

She watched every blow Midou had placed on him. She watched every _fatal_ blow that suffered his body, and she watched as he stood up again and again… he refused to lie down and let her die. This human, this boy – no, this _man_ had died today. His blood had been spilled because of her own weakness and his nobility. She had brought him back to life with her precious blood, and she had committed act, an inconceivable act that worse than death upon him. The one person she cared about above all else had his humanity stripped away from him. She had turned him into a true_ monster_, the very creature he fought against to protect her.

She had never felt a stronger urge to vomit.

Her cold hand rested against his face, her very being praying for his continued existence, praying that the monster wouldn't take away the boy she loved. Fear gripped her heart coldly and fate laughed mockingly from above as her shoulders shook with unrepressed grief. How could it have come to this. How could she have allowed it to come to this? This boy had died for her. He had died for her and it hadn't been the first time that he committed the act. She relied on him, despite her pride refusing to believe it. She may have been the protector but he had always been her guardian.

She had never understood him, even after being released from the seal that very first night. How was it possible that a human would come to care for a vampire such as her? He was the antithesis of every human she had ever met. The children from her previous schools had always teased her because of her unusually colored hair. Tsukune believed that her hair was beautiful. The children teased her because of her odd quirks. Tsukune enjoyed and loved them. The students allowed her to be bullied. Tsukune fought so it wouldn't happen again. They allowed her to be beaten and harmed. Tsukune became the shield that would protect her from the shiniest halls of heaven, and the dark trenches of hell.

"_**You foolish human,"**_ she murmured gently, stroking the soft brown hair she had come to love._** "You noble fool. I told you to leave me."**_ brown eyes flashed in her vision and that determined face she had come to respect and hoped to see flashed her a grin._** "But you never ran. You protected me even when you knew you were going to die."**_

Perhaps that was one of the reasons that she loved him. it was most certainly was one the reasons everyone drew to him like a moth to flame. His human body was fragile, and the lightest taps from her could break every bone in his body. She was an entity of darkness and everything that _he_, a human, should avoid and actively hunt. But he did the opposite. When others would scorn her, he openly admitted how much he cared about her. When Midou had brought down his fist for the final blow, he put his very life on the line and his body to take the brunt of the blow.

If she truly believed in angels, then she knew that if anyone deserved a place in heaven, it was Tsukune. When others wanted to hurt him, he dispelled them with his words. When others battled and fought for him, he shielded them with his body so they wouldn't have to. When others lived off hate and corruption, he lived off love and purity. She loved him and he would never know. She didn't deserve someone like him. She didn't deserve the hero from the fairy tales because she was the villainess that hunted them. He didn't deserve her. He deserved someone greater than her. He deserved the princess or the queen of some great land. He deserved a life where his body was no longer needed to shield his friends and he could live amongst his family in peace. But he couldn't do that. Not with her. Not here at Yokai Academy. Not in the monster world where yōkai actively hunted him.

" _I-I want the power to protect Moka-san,"_

Power would not have helped him. Power, the supreme power of the likes she possessed had not even helped her from escaping death. He was so foolish. Did he not see that power was not something he needed. He didn't need physical power because he had something else. She knew how he felt when it came to his little harem and even her. She knew how much he hated watching them fight, watching them protect him while he could do nothing for them. He believed he was a burden. He didn't understand that he could never be a burden for without him, the family she possessed now wouldn't have existed. She wouldn't have ever been released from the confines of the rosary. He protected everyone in his own way. He kept their bonds forged and gave them strength. His love was their strength. They drew their power from his very life. He didn't understand that if he ever died, they wouldn't be able to continue on. Omote would be reduced to a husk of her former self, the Succubus would most likely go insane, the ice woman would destroy herself, and even the little witch would suffer tremendously. If this was a chess game, he would be the [King]. Without him, they didn't exist, nor have a reason to exist. They lived to protect the King. But in their game, it had somehow became the King protecting the pieces rather the pieces keeping him safe.

The door to the hospital room opened quietly, and Ura Moka turned her head to the side, her hand never leaving Tsukune's face._** "Have the preparations been taken care of?"**_

Ruby pursed her lips. "Yes," she admitted hesitantly and her eyes saddened when they took in the damaged form of the very one who had saved her. Her grip on her wand tightened and she wasn't surprised when she felt the tears leaking down her cheeks. "Are you sure that it has to be this way…?"

She allowed herself a bitter laugh. Did it have to be this way? Possibly not. But was this the better way, the way that ensured his safety from creatures like her? Yes. If he remained in such a dangerous place, the chance that the lock would break and his mind collapse would be infinitely high every day. It was selfish that she wanted to keep him here with her. She understood that she was selfish. She was a demon and that's what they were. But her love outshined her selfishness. If he stayed at Yokai Academy, if he stayed with _her_, he could – he _would_ die.

"_**Yes, it must be."**_ She replied bitterly and Ruby nodded just as sadly before leaving to gather the rest of his items. With the witch gone, she gently stroked his cheek._** "You may hate me for this, but your safety matters more to me than anything. You'll be safer in the human world."**_

She stood up with a look of finality. She couldn't hesitate. She couldn't waver because of that incredibly strong desire to keep him by her side. Omote will never forgive her, and she doubted any of her other friends will as well, but their opinions didn't matter. The only one that mattered is him. She gave him one final look, and a thought occurred to her. If was to be the last time she'd ever see him, then she'd keep something to remember him by in the years to come. She bent over and placed a long, gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth. His lips didn't belong to her. They belonged to the woman that would be by his side and do what she could not.

"_**I'm so sorry…"**_

This would be the last time. From now on, Aono Tsukune would never be permitted to return to Yokai Academy and will thus be sent to an academy deserving of his skills, deserving of someone with his gentle nature and big heart. This would be the last time. This would the last time that Akashiya Moka would ever set her eyes on him again.


	2. Come Forth my Knight!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own High School DxD or Rosario + Vampire

**Quote: "**Until I met you... I had nothing... every day was as empty as the one before... but you... changed that. You lit up my days, you gave me a reason to live... I love you, Moka-san. I love so, so much... I can't imagine a day without you." – Tsukune Aono

**Chapter 1**

**Sacrifice and Resurrection**

The moon always soothed him.

The soft scent of fresh lilies lingered gently in the night air and the cool winds caressed his cheek with such lovingness that it was easily comparable to that of a lover. Sitting on the roof of his home during the late hours had become something of an addiction to him, a method to keep away the nightmares that bled in his mind when he fell asleep. Watching the wonders of nature at night eased his worries and pushed away the darkness that had clouded his heart, allowing him to view his own memories and thoughts with a near clear head, undaunted by self-doubt and hatred.

Tsukune had been sitting on his roof in the lotus position when he felt the change in the night air. Meditation was a requirement that aided him in his endless struggle for control of his own body. The night was the environment he thrived in and the need for sleep avoided him as the moons rays seemingly empowered his mind like a drug, forcing an awareness that never seemed as active during the day as it seemed now. This was a time of no consequence, no worries or sorrows, just peace. There was no one but him. The night was his to enjoy and his alone to watch under. It was an environment that pushed him into an inner peace where neither rage nor incredible happiness occurred. It had been two months since that night and it was only this night, this special drug that kept him going.

Death had always been a wonder to him. It was a concept that he understood, but he didn't generally understand what entirely death was. Was death perhaps an eternal separation from the mortal plain? Did angels retrieve you from the brink and bring you to the father to be judged? Or perhaps it was simply the void where no conscience thrived and all that existed was nothingness. He was intimate with death. He had flirted the boundaries between life and death for months, always hanging over the edge of each, teasing both sides until one had enough and stole him for its own. He had experienced death _that_ night. The void had had enough of his insolence and placed him in a situation where it knew that his life would become worthless in his own eyes.

Him. A teenage boy with no special qualities thrust into a situation of life and death. It seemed laughable but it didn't make it any less true because he was not an ordinary teenager, not anymore. How much time had passed? He knew the answer and yet at the same time his mind questioned, begged for an answer for his body's withdrawal. The bones in his body had long since mended and the skin that had been torn into and stabbed had healed and scarred into a gruesome sight. He had tried to return to that place. He had tried to find a way and each path had been blocked to him. It was simply impossible. The old man had made sure that there was no possible way a _human_ could venture its walls again.

That word. Humanity. It was a disgusting word. It was a word that adequately described him and yet at the same time it didn't. He wasn't human. He didn't want to be human, but he was not enough monster to be considered one of them. To his beloved friends, to the one he loved, he was the one that had a mistake, the one that didn't belong in a world inhabited by creatures such as themselves. A group that had been formed by him at the center had cast him out like a leper and left him to creatures that shared the same cowardice, the same weakness as him. He could never walk by their side again. He could never enjoy the feeling of her fangs in his neck. All of that was denied to him in a single stroke and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He knew the place. He knew where they were hidden, but he could not access it!

He slid down the roof before sliding onto the grass with a grace befitting of an acrobat. Despite his weakness, he had stayed at that place. He had stayed because of them. He had stayed because he loved them. He had stayed because he worried for them. He had never thought that for his own safety, they would resort to banishing him from their lives into a world that had never truly accepted him, despite his origins residing there. He had never been as angry, as emotionally broken as he been that day when he woke up in his bed with a letter and folder stating that his time at the academy had come to an end and that funds coming directly from the accounts of one Akashiya Moka were being sent to his parents with the hopes of establishing him at a school of his choice to complete the rest of his year. He had raged, he had cried, and he had fallen so low to the point that his parents pulled him out of school to deal with his depression, opting to homeschool him until his mental health improved. It didn't surprise him that home with his parents had suddenly become a prison. They said home was where the heart was and he knew where his heart resided.

What had seemed like a normal school was revealed to be a home and place of learning for monsters. Not monsters in the deviant sense that humans consider – but Ayashi, creatures spawned from stories used to scare little kids into behaving for their parents. They were the monsters that the hero always slew before getting the princess and getting the happy ending. A place that should have terrified him become a home to him. That was not to say that it didn't terrify him the beginning. No, that would be a lie if he claimed anything but the truth. When he had arrived at that place, it was with the knowledge that he was perhaps the weakest creature there and if anyone were to find out his existence, chances were that he was going to die. A normal human would have left and alerted the government. Then again, a normal human would have never fallen in love with a vampire.

Akashiya Moka.

Their first meeting had been something out of a romantic comedy. He had been a nervous boy at a scary school and suddenly, a bike had hit him and a pink haired girl fell upon him, sputtering apologies. The minute those brown eyes of his met her emerald ones, he had become smitten. And how could he have not fallen in love with such perfection. She was astoundingly beautiful, to goddess proportions even, and her attitude was as beautiful and cheery as her body. She was the top of everything. She had the brains, the skill, and the gentleness to never want to hurt anyone and she had chosen him to be her companion, her friend in a school filled with the very creatures that sought to grind his bones to dust. It had boggled his mind at how someone so _perfect_ could befriend someone so _average_. He had questioned it many times, but he did nothing to stop her.

He had been so delighted at being accepted by someone that the thought of attending a monster academy didn't bother him. She was considered the ultimate monster by her peers and she had another side of her that no one had known about until the two of them met. It was a dark and alluring side that sent fear into the hearts of men, but only filled his with love. For when the rosary on her breast was removed by his very hand, her inner vampire nature emerged and the darkness – the true Moka – would appear bathed in red light and surrounded by the symbol of her race. The girl he loved was split into two pieces, inner and outer, light and dark, yin and yang. Under the pink hair resided silver, and behind those innocent green eyes held sultry, smoldering crimson ones that pierced his very soul and filled him with a sense of safety, security even, that pushed him to wake up every morning.

When the vampire chose him, others had followed, claiming to see things in him that he didn't believe existed until they forced them out of him. Kurumu, a succubus, a race bent on the seduction of men and the spreading of love, revealed that he was brave when he stopped Inner Moka with his own body from harming her. Yukari, a little witch whose race was ostracized for not being truly monster or human, taught him that he was forgiving and gentle when he rushed to save her from her bullies, even when she demeaned and hurt him. Mizore, a snow woman from the north, taught him that he understood when he held her in his arms even after she attempted to kill his friends.

And Moka, the first of them all, taught him that behind all that averageness resided a big heart that longed to love and yearned to be loved. It was his love for Moka, both sides of her that brought about the events that changed him and turned him into the man he was today. In a single moment, he had become more than average, more than a failure. He had become respected and loved and he succeeded more than he failed. His life had been perfect, despite the usual threats of violence and in one single night, all of it had been stripped away from him.

In a single moment, he proved how human he was by being unable to protect her. In a single moment, he proved that the greatest threat to her that existed was him. _They_ – he refused to give them a name – had taken her in order to get to him. They had hurt her because of him and when he tried to protect her that night, he had become a burden – no he had become the enemy of both her and her attackers. In one single instant, he had become the predator.

In the tales of old, vampires were said to be able to transfer their demonic power into the bodies of humans and empower them, or even better, turn them into a fledgling of the race that was considered the pinnacle of the monster world. He had received her precious blood into his veins many times, and with each time that it happened, she warned him that the longer he stayed in that place – with her – his body would eventually break down and he would die. He hadn't listened and her warnings became the present. He had died the moment Midou dealt the finishing blow and she had filled his dead veins with her blood and the impossible, the worst thing that could happen occurred.

Like the undead of folklore, his body rose from the grave and he lived again. He had returned from the realm of Hades and the breath of life filled him. He had returned – but not to protect her. He had not been truly aware of what was occurring at his sudden his resurrection, but his body had responded and his eyes were available to him. The love and kindness that filled his heart was replaced with hatred, madness, and a savagery that fueled his body with a desire for the blood, the crimson ichor of another, to fill his mouth and quench the thirst that only a vampire could understand. He would tell no one, but he had seen everything he had done. His dreams did nothing to stop him. He had seen what he had become. He had seen the war machine, the instrument of death that sought the blood of everything – even his beloved – on its hands.

Words could not possibly describe the devil in human's flesh that he had become. He had forcibly removed the rock stabbed impaled into his back and he had pounced upon his murderers like a raving demon found in horror stories. His eyes had seen the _nightmare_, the _massacre_ that had been caused by his very hands. He felt every broken bone that became dust under his fists and even now he could hear the chilling laugh that echoed in his ears. It was the laughter of a monster. It was his laughter. No one had been able to stop him because he was no human, no Ayashi with an intelligent mind. He had become a monster that didn't care about life and death. It only cared about its next meal and Moka, precious Moka, had been forced to contend with the nightmare that she and he had created.

He couldn't remember anything after that. He had woken up in his bed with a gold ornate holy lock on his wrist and a letter of which contents explained the use of the sealing lock on his wrist and the promise that the monster world would never bother him again. And now here he was. The holy lock glowed eerily in the moonlight, a silent reminder that the monster still existed, still yearned for the end of everything and it taunted him every day and night. He wanted to return home. But he could not. He could not because not only were all accesses blocked to him, but because if he did, she would be in danger. They all would be danger. The yōkai world was dangerous for a _human_ and the _ghoul_ was fueled by his push for power. He could use his power to a limit and be slightly useful, but if a situation occurred where he had to use more, and the lock broke because of it, he would be an enemy rather than an ally.

It was better this way. For him. For her. For the both of them.

His hardened features softened and a hint of the sadness he was feeling was revealed on his face. No one could see him as he was now. Aono Tsukune was meant to always have a smile on his face. That was the role of Aono Tsukune the _human_. It was nights like these that he wished the folklore had been true. He wished that Aono Tsukune the _human_ had died permanently that night. He wished that Aono Tsukune the _ghoul_ had never existed. He wished that Aono Tsukune the _vampire_ had made an appearance to prove that the stories were true. But it hadn't, and that door had been closed to him forever.

X

What should have been a simple forty five minutes seemed like an agonizing forty five hours. It seemed that time lost all meaning in human school just as well as it did in a school of monsters and equaled in amounts of just how much of a drag it could be. The young Aono let out a small groan before slumping forward, pressing his head against his arms.

Sunlight bravely filtered through the crack of the curtains in the classroom, illuminating the room in a warm glow and forcing everyone to acknowledge that their day wasn't over yet and that school had yet to finish. Luckily for most of the students, it was the last period of the day and in a near twenty minutes time; their homes would become available to them. Light scratches of pencil against paper echoed in the silent room and oddly enough, the most average boy – at least in his mind – wasn't one of them. Instead, his weary honeyed eyes wandered across the room.

The English room looked very much the part, and there was evidence plain as day that the teacher was apparently a child at heart as much as his students were. The walls were covered in posters from various book titles and his large antique desk was layered in items that looked like they belonged more in an otaku's room rather than in a place of learning. It was an interesting contradiction when reading manga was usually discouraged by English teachers because they didn't hold the same quality and finesse of a good novel. Despite the warmness and childishness the room presented to him, it didn't prevent the strange melancholy that afflicted him when instead of humorous decorations, the walls were covered by literature quotes. He could remember a room where instead of an antique desk sat at the front, a finely made and brand new polished wood one replaced it. Instead of the nerdy looking young woman that sat in the teacher's chair, he remembered a strange but warm nekomata that had more than every right to teach him English.

The correct thing to do was probably to forget that such a sanctuary ever existed and simply leave it that. It was a shame that that train of thought would never be followed.

If he knew, if he knew that there was possibly a way to return the place he was exiled from, he wouldn't be sitting at this desk at his new school with a depressed aura around him. No, he wouldn't be standing here at Kuoh Academy. Chances were that he'd be battling the strongest of yōkai for the right to return to school, _his_ school. It wasn't his fault if those that tried to stop him got injured in the process because they were too foolhardy to not heed his request. He would say that it was the vampire blood that flowed through his veins that created such _unnatural_ thoughts in his head, but chances were that these thoughts belonged to him and him alone.

Yōkai Academy had been his place, his sanctuary to do as he pleased. It was a place he had been –no still was fiercely protective of. He would occasionally create thoughts like these, falling into a sense of nostalgia unbefitting of one such as him. There was no possible way for him to return, but the idle fantasies lingered from time to time, tempting him with the knowledge that his old friends were waiting for him to step past those gates once again and forsake everything he had ever known. But those thoughts were lies, harsh lies meant to give him a false hope. The academy he found himself in was probably the better alternative.

His sensitive ears picked up the scratching sound of chalk against the blackboard and those tired eyes of his left his arms before training on the individual putting up what he believed were the answers to last night's homework. Over half of them were wrong and he couldn't prevent the almost amused smirk that crept up on his lips.

_Issei._ Now that was another can of beans to contend with and he blamed it on the protective streak and hero thing he had gained as a side effect of once being the only male in a group of females. Hyoudou Issei had to have been the biggest pervert he had ever held the pleasure of meeting and from their first encounter, the stupid but otherwise loveable idiot had wormed a way into the barriers Aono had placed against everyone else.

The boy was lust incarnate and practically held no redeeming qualities to shave off some of the hatred presented to him by the female population of the school. He wasn't alone in his quest for Oppai as Tsukune had so accurately named it. He had two other friends who Tsukune recognized as the bane of his very existence. They formed a trio known as the Perverted Trio consisting of Matsuda, a former sports star and jock who gave up the only things that made him worthy in a females eyes for a life of perversion and lechery, earning the nicknames 'Sexual Harassment Paparazzi' and 'Perverted Baldy'. He was also the only idiot Aono had come to know that had proudly proclaimed that he was a lolicon. He groaned. That was a lie. There had been that martial arts guy for the fight club at the academy but no one really remembered who he was.

The other pervert was called Motohama and he had received the names, 'Three Sizes Scouter' and 'Perverted Glasses' due to his innate ability to recognize and calculate a woman's three sizes by simply ogling their bodies. Besides his love for Oppai, Tsukune enjoyed Issei's presence far more than the other two when it came to conversation. It was like talking to Gin-senpai, and it was a welcoming relief that barred away some of the scars left behind by his old school.

"Yo, Tsukune!" said pervert strolled toward him with possibly the brightest smile he had ever seen on his face before and sat down next to his classmate with a look of pure contentment. It was an odd look, Tsukune admitted. There was no sign of perversion and if he didn't wanted to sound rude, he might have said that the boy looked possibly normal for once.

Tsukune grunted softly in reply. "Hear about what, Issei-kun?" he rolled his eyes in slight annoyance when the class immediately silenced as if to listen in on their conversation. It usually happened and it was an occurrence that he had gotten used to. Befriending a total pervert tended to make someone interesting to the student body, especially when that someone wasn't a pervert himself.

"So you didn't hear about it?" the older brown haired male exclaimed in surprise before slumping over slightly in mild depression. It was almost comical to look at. "It's been the talk of the school all day and you haven't heard about it? I have a date!"

Tsukune showed no sign of surprise outwardly, but inwardly he couldn't believe it, as much as it shamed him to admit it. It was nothing against Issei, but the guy was a total pervert and almost every female he came across hated him for some reason or another. To think that a girl was giving him a chance like this was almost unbelievable. "I'm only absent for two days and somehow the world's biggest pervert finds a girl for him?"

"Oi," Issei pouted comically. "There's nothing wrong with showing an overly good appreciation for the female body. It's not my fault that I can do what all the other guys wished they could do without punishment."

"So that beating you received from the kendo club wasn't a punishment?"

"Ma, more like gentle love taps." Issei retorted easily enough and almost cheered in excitement when the bell rang. He sprung up so quickly that he had Tsukune thinking he was a werewolf in disguise. He pulled the younger male out of his seat and out the door in a flash. "You got to meet Yuuma-chan! She'll absolutely love you! But not more than me so don't get your hopes up!"

"Why am I your friend, again?"

X

The end of the school day found Issei and Tsukune standing just outside the school doors to the front of office, almost exactly where Issei's girlfriend had requested to them via text message. They made small talk like all teenagers tended do when they got extremely bored and it wasn't long till Tsukune had Issei coughing out how exactly he and this mystery girl had met. The former yōkai student was almost sure they met online because there was no way this girl didn't know about his only male friend's reputation as a harasser of women and lover of Oppai. Tsukune's blazer was on the cool stone ground, his collar upward and his dress shirt nearly opened. Since there was practically no one in view and the school day was over, he didn't see why exactly he had to wear his full uniform. Besides, Issei had prevented him from taking a nap at home for wanting to meet his girlfriend. If anything, he deserved to be as comfortable as he pleased.

There were a few inconsistencies with his male friend's story, but for the most part, it checked out pretty well in his eyes. It seemed that Issei had met his 'Yuuma' some time ago while he was moping on the nearby bridge that led toward a rival school, which ironically enough was one of Tsukune's own brooding spots when the subject of his old academy was brought up by his parents. This girl was a student from a school up north and had apparently learned good things about Issei. What good things, Tsukune had no idea, but it apparently been enough to garner her attention and ultimately led up to her asking him out randomly during their first meeting. He smiled at the thought of it. It seemed that he wasn't the only guy that had unusual girls clinging to him like a magnet. But unlike him, Issei still had his. That brought a frown that was quickly hidden lest Issei saw it.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Issei-kun!"

Both boys shared identical glances before craning their necks to the side to find a rather beautiful girl running their way. Tsukune shook off a strange feeling that encumbered him. His muscles had suddenly gone rigid for some reason and his body screamed in protest the minute the girl stopped directly in front of them before smiling cheerfully. Her uniform was red in color as opposed to their black blazers and a shiny P was embroidered on her bountiful chest just above her heart. Her purple eyes were filled with a joy and happiness that seemed…off.

He couldn't explain the feeling of pure fear that pulsed in his body but he remained firm. There was nothing wrong with the situation here. He was in the human world where everything was cheerful and normal. There was no reason for his body to act like he was standing in front of a yōkai hiding her true form because the likelihood of that was slim to none.

Issei wrapped an arm around her waist with a happy smile and the girl seemingly melted into his touch with a loving gaze directed at him. Issei's smile grew at her response before he turned to his friend. "This is the girl I wanted you to meet, Tsukune. This is Yuuma-chan and she's my girlfriend."

Yuuma bowed. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Aono-kun!" she exclaimed as if she was actually happy to finally meet him. "Issei-kun talks about you all the time and I didn't get to meet you this morning." The poor girl actually had to meet the other two of the perverted duo? His respect for her suddenly grew and he found himself actually charmed a bit.

He smiled. "I hope Issei only talks about the good things,"

She nodded enthusiastically. "He said that you're his best friend and that he wouldn't know what exactly he would do without you – MPH."

Her plump limps were suddenly covered by a seemingly embarrassed Issei. "Ma, ma, you don't have to tell him anything like that, Yuuma-chan. I can't be manly if you start blurting about my secrets!" he gave a weak smile to his friend while avoiding his eyes. "Okay, you guys met! That's fabulous now we have a date to go to so see ya!"

A warm smile met his poor excuses and Tsukune could only chuckle as his friend dragged his girlfriend past him without so much as looking at him. Really, he got so embarrassed so easily. Now if that girl could put up with that, then Issei could do anything. He reached for his blazer when Yuuma's bare hand grazed his side and that terrible feeling he had felt before returned instantly.

He had only felt such killing intent from yōkai of Kuyō and Moka's caliber and even then, he had never been forced to endure it with such intensity. His arm shook violently as he watched the happy couple leave and it was only when he could not see them any longer did his shaking actually cease. Beads of sweat dribbled down the side of his head as he forced his beating heart to calm itself. Something was wrong about that girl. It was something terrible. He smoothed out his blazer and collar before pulling the former back on with a serious glare on his face. It didn't seem like he was going to make it home anytime soon. He had a friend that needed watching.

X

Hyoudou Issei of class 2-B at Kuoh Academy was having the best day of his overly perverted life. He couldn't believe this boon had been granted him, but he thanked whatever deity loved him enough to do it. His day at school had been absolutely terrible and the occasional beating, mentally and physically, he received from the kendo club and his own friends had been enough to put him in one of his slumps that happened every once in a blue moon. Really, somebody like him had no business brooding when Oppai was abound and the sun had been shining, but what could the world do with a pervert like him? It seemed to hate him for sure. All he wanted was some to squeeze some Oppai and ogle girls like a normal teenage boy and instead, he was hated. At the rate he had been going, he probably would have ended up a cherry boy after high school and even beyond that. He had seen the movie, _40 year old Virgin_, and he was determined to avoid that fate.

It was probably a good thing that he had been in one of his brooding sessions because chances are he would have never met _her_ if he hadn't. Everyone talked about love at first sight and Issei had thought it was a joke until it struck him like a hammer. He was simply smitten with this girl that had asked him out of all people. He was a widely known pervert that had reputation even at other schools and still, this girl came for him. Yuuma didn't care about his reputation and believed in him. She was simply beautiful with her waist length black hair he could run his hands through and those gorgeous purple eyes of hers he liked staring into. Hell, she even had a buxom body but for the first time, he didn't focus on that. Hyoudou Issei,_ Lust Incarnate_, had not fallen in lust with someone like he had initially believed. He had fallen in love with her and damn it if he wasn't going to make this day the absolute best for her. He had worked harder than he ever had before to make this date the most perfect it could be. They had went out shopping together where he bought her a purple scrunchy that matched her eyes and then took her out for ice cream at the nearby ice cream parlor for some downtime.

The date had been an absolute success. They had done everything together and she even held his hand instead of shying away like others before her. It had been the first date he had ever been on and he had no doubt that he'd remember it until the end of his days. This girl had made him forget about his perverted desires! It had been the first time that he could remember that he hadn't been fascinated by just Oppai of all things. He had been fascinated by her and her alone. She was his world tonight.

The sun had gone down some time ago, replaced with the gorgeous moon that shined brightly down on them, setting them up for a pretty romantic scene if those romance movies were anything to go by. Yuuma let go of his hand before settling in front of the fountain, its waters splashing behind her, making her resemble a goddess in appearance.

She smiled brightly. "Issei-kun,"

"Yes, Yuuma-chan?" Issei asked, his heart beating madly in his chest as he stared at the girl with red cheeks. He had never felt like this before. This feeling was amazing and he didn't want it to leave. It was ridiculous and insane!

"Would you do something for me to commemorate our first date?" the girl smiled beautifully at him and he knew right then and there that he could deny her. With that demure smile and that gorgeous blush, he was ruined for other women.

It couldn't be! Was this the moment all men waited for in the lives? Was this the moment of truth that he always dreamed of? Could be she – could she asking for a kiss from him?

"Anything you want," he promised dutifully with a sense of manly pride that came from making the girl he likes happy.

"Could you please die for me?"

It was that moment where the romantic music suddenly stopped and Issei blinked. He stuck his pinky in his ear before shaking his head. "Ehh?" what was in the soda he had been drinking? There was no way he heard that right. "Ano… could you maybe repeat that? I think my hearing went weird."

Shadows crossed over her face and she tilted her head at an angle before settling it in the crook of his neck right next his ear, her warm breath brushing against the shell. "Could you please die for me?" her voice had taken a deeper, sultrier tone than what he was accustomed with.

The sound of fabric tearing echoed in the streets and black wings burst from her back, both a meter each in sheer size. Her voice dropped a couple pitches and she seemingly grew taller before his very eyes, and, what he noticed most, more voluptuous. She took to the sky, black bird like feathers sprawling around Issei like a shadow of death.

"I will admit that this past couples of days have been fun," Yuuma murmured seductively. She held out her hand as if she was grasping an object and before his eyes, a spear of light materialized in her grip. She took a glance down at the scrunchy on her arm before returning her gaze to Issei. "I'll always treasure this gift and the memories you gave me. Now don't move. This will be quick my dear Issei." And without warning, the spear of pure light was thrown at him and in that moment, he knew it was all over.

But before the grim reaper could take him, Issei found himself pushed into the ground rather violently, his eyes only able to take in the red purple energy that appeared in front of him. "W-what…?" his eyes widened in surprise at the form of a young man not much older than he was standing in front of him with a defensive posture. It didn't take him long to identify just who he was. "Tsukune!"

"I'll admit that I never thought I'd see a yōkai in the human world blatantly make an appearance like this, especially one that resembles an angel."

The fountain suddenly became silent as the air was filled with a sense of dread created only by the matching killing intent of monsters ready to battle one another to the death. It was a terrible feeling, and for someone who was a true human like Issei, it was almost heart stopping. His brown eyes caught sight of the displeased frown that crossed Yuuma's lips as her wings spread angrily.

"Insolent creature. I am no yōkai and you have no place being here." The ebony haired woman materialized another spear before their very eyes with rising killing intent following it. "I do not think that you understand the situation you have walked on so I'll give you a chance to leave me and my dear Issei-kun to our business. It is unwise to interfere in the affair of fallen angels."

His life flashed before his very eyes and his brown eyes scanned hopefully for any chance that the holy lock would be willing to grant him access to a portion of his powers. He knew how to use it to a certain extent due to the knowledge he held from previous experiences when he transformed into a temporary vampire, but it seemed that the lock wasn't willing hash off a portion of his power. He had reacted on nothing but an impulse to save his friend and it seemed like that terrible night was going to make a second coming. Except this time, he wasn't going to survive the encounter. His brown, flashing red eyes widened at a revelation.

"What is a fallen angel!" he demanded angrily, stepping in front of his friend with the full intention of protecting him. "and what do you want with Issei!"

Yuuma eyed him lazily. "It's not what I want with him that matters, poor human. He is a threat to our organization and threats such as him need to be extinguished, including any witnesses." Her arm moved before he could react, he found a spear embedded firmly in the center of his chest.

"Tsukune!" Issei roared in horror as his friend fell with a gurgle onto the stone ground, painting it crimson with his very blood. The brunette rushed to his younger friend, pulling his head onto his lap before shaking him violently. "C-come on my man, get up!" he begged. "This isn't a funny joke anymore! Get up dammit!" he nearly vomited at the sight of his friend's blood all over his hands. This had been supposed to be a normal date, not a fucking murder!

"Dammit, Issei…" Tsukune whispered, his voice barely making it to his friend's ears. His body hurt, and unbelievable agony coursed through his chest. He could feel the blood leaving his body like a fountain and had no doubt that his friend's clothes was probably soaking it all up like a sponge. "You need to run far away and hide! You have to leave…"

Black feathers scattered around them. "Ara, that won't be happening, Aono-kun. You won't have to worry though, Issei-kun will be joining you soon enough." Another spear was already in her hands and she readied it for one final throw.

"Yuuma-chan…" Issei could only stare at her in disbelief. This wasn't the girl he had come to love. Yuuma-chan was a sweet girl that thought the world of him. Yuuma-chan was someone he could rely on him. Yuuma-chan was gentle… not a killer like the woman before his eyes.

Purple eyes darkened save for as single glimmer. "If you want anyone to blame, then blame the God that placed that Sacred Gear inside of you. Now hold still. I'll make this quick for you, I promise. I owe you that much for the memories."

"Yuuma-chan –" he was silenced without another word. Her holy spear pierced his heart in a single instant and he collapsed without another word, his friend sliding off his lap, and his blood joining the already large amount on the cold stone. His brown eye gazed lifelessly as the woman he loved leapt into the air and disappeared into the night sky without as so much as an apology. Was this really how he was going die…?

Tsukune growled in anger and grief as his friend's head craned to the side, his eyes unseeing a his own had been that terrible night. He had been wrong. This night wasn't as bad as the night he had turned into a monster. It was worse. It was worse because unlike that night, he had failed to protect his friend and it seemed that he would be joining him soon. This couldn't be how it ended. He had endured so much only to die by the hand of his friend's evil girlfriend? What a pathetic ending to a pathetic person. He slumped forward, his chin cracking against the stone ground.

He laughed bitterly. In the end, he was just as worthless in the human world as he been in the monster world. If Moka had been here, Issei wouldn't have died. If he had been stronger, they would have survived and gone on with their lives. Blood exited his lungs as he suddenly went into a coughing fit before stilling._ I guess it's finally time._ He had flirted with death for far too long and this time, she would take him for his own. He had always known that this day would come, he just wished it hadn't come like this. He hadn't even found a way to return _home_, to _her_. What would she do when she found out that she sent him away to be safe only for him to die anyway? Bitter tears fell down his cheeks._ I'm sorry, Moka-san. If I wasn't so much of a failure, we could be together again._

Darkness encroached his vision and he knew that the end had come. He had not seen the red light that had fell upon the fountain nor the beautiful red haired woman that had appeared with it. The last thing he saw before the void embraced him was red hair._ It's red just like the color of her eyes. Her hair is more crimson than even her beautiful eyes, the same color as the blood pooling all around me._

"**Devote your life to me.**

_**I, Rias Gremory, do hereby command you in my name: Heed my call, Aono Tsukune and come forth! Tie your soul to this world and become a Devil of my House. You shall become my [Knight] and rejoice in your new life!"**_

X


	3. The Devil Faction

**Disclaimer:** I have no claim of ownership over Rosario + Vampire or High School DxD

**AN:** The Tsukune of this universe is a little different in comparison to Sekirei Vampire and the original canon verse. If you wanted a bitter/sarcastic version of the R+V protagonist, you'll be getting him until he learns how to be himself again. I also need a beta. Anyone interested? I know there are some mistakes in here so someone could fix it without my bias would be incredible right now. Also, if there is a pairing you want for Tsukune, I have a poll on my profile. Make no mistake however, I also have a preference for a pairing so the poll is not absolute, it is merely a suggestion or opinion.

**Quote:** "Eternal servitude… huh? That sounds like my luck."

**Chapter 2**

**The Devil Faction**

The fact that Rias Gremory gained two new pieces in a span of a single night did not do much to improve the mood of the Student Council President.

Sona Sitri, sister of the Leviathan, glared daggers into her paperwork as she tried to go about her daily work without rushing off to the Occult Research Club and showing her friend who was the stronger of the two. To say that would be unreasonable of the heiress apparent would be a death wish, even if the former was true. However, Rias Gremory, in a single night, had ruined a lot of things that she had planned. The plans the heiress apparent had been making since _he_ suddenly appeared at her school with a recommendation from one of the Four was thrown out the window the minute Rias decided in her wisdom that the boy would be better suited for her peerage. Aono Tsukune was lower on the power scale when it came to magical prowess, but the sheer spiritual pressure he radiated was enough to send lesser devils tripping over themselves to get away and middle class devils to be hesitant in even approaching him. That wouldn't have been too impressive had he been a devil, but the fact that he was a human and his body could hold that power without spontaneously combusting was mind boggling.

The worst part was that it appeared that he had no idea of what exactly he contained in that fragile human body of his. He made no effort to utilize it in any sort of way and anyone that had the capacity to train him to use it was either a rival devil against her or a member of the Grigori considering that the fallen angel faction had been stirring some trouble in Rias's territory. There had been no word of the angels showing any interest in the boy, but if Sona was smart as she believed herself to be, it wouldn't be long before the angels of God noticed him, especially now that he had been stolen in into the devil faction with the full intent of being used as a knight of Gremory. She allowed a small grin to cross her lips despite her disappointment at not being able to have him for herself. Aono Tsukune may have been a human before, but even as a mortal, he was incredibly stubborn. He made no effort to coexist with anyone in the school, even the girls that fawned after him and when he made a decision, he stood with it. He was no one's tool and the only one that could probably leash him was surprisingly the better member of the Perverted Trio. But even his influence only went so far.

Aono Tsukune had the potential to be a sheer wall of destruction, living to the very name of the household he had been adopted into, but he was not moldable nor naïve. The boy may have had died against that fallen angel yesterday, but he was by no way amount weak physically or mentally. She had seen him only a couple minutes before with those serious eyes of his seemingly searching for something. Somehow, he knew that the cause for his subsequent resurrection held its origins at her beloved academy and he wasn't going to stop until he found it. She almost felt bad for Rias, almost. He would be a difficult piece to control and even more harder to befriend. She had read a little on his file. It was his friends that had him ejected from his previous school so there was no doubt that even mentioning the word would have a startling effect on him. Somewhere, deep inside, she wanted to see him for all he was. She wanted to see him at his most powerful, most angriest, and watch as his foes finally understood that they could never defeat him, never amount to the devil he had become. She wanted to see the opportunity that she had failed to take and watch Rias struggle with him. Rias was supposed to have only taken one servant and her greed had made her take two. There would be consequences and her friend would have to learn to deal with them because that boy was not happy.

Then there was the other boy, Hyoudou Issei. He was an average boy with average looks and grades, but unfortunately, not so average lust. The boy seemed to be the physical incarnation of lust itself and didn't seem to hold any redeeming qualities, but then again, Sona had never taken anything at face value and researched him just as well as she did Aono. He came from an average family background and as she had initially suspected, there was nothing special about him. However, he had something that not many people had the qualities to own; A Sacred Gear. The actual Sacred Gear itself was unknown but it did much to raise his status in her eyes regardless and made her look at his other traits as well. He was a weak human and would probably make an average devil unless trained properly, but he held some qualities that made him just as valuable as Aono. He was devastatingly loyal and she had no doubt that once Rias told him of the circumstances of his resurrection, the boy would serve her dutifully. If not for that reason, then for the fact that Rias was beautiful and the number one girl of the school. Still, he was valuable and if Rias did him well, he could be a real force to be reckoned with in the near future. Some people had all the luck, but she knew that there would be some entertainment from this.

She couldn't wait to see Rias struggle with her new chess pieces. One was an unredeemable pervert, and the other was a boy who held no interest in joining a family or befriending anyone. The sheer insanity would be amusing to watch, almost as much as her sister's shows.

The thought made her head ache. Some shame just wouldn't go away, no matter how much she wanted it to. After all, how many other devils could claim that their sister ran a TV show for children… and starred in it as well.

She really needed a vacation.

…**.**

Aono Tsukune sighed softly as he laid against the trunk of one of the many large trees that circled the entirety of Kuoh Academy, his brown eyes closed in a seemingly perfect picture of serenity. He could hear the loud commotion of something unusual happening nearby, but he couldn't be bothered enough to stand up from his lonely spot and see what was going on. Students tended to gossip and be awed by the stupidest of situations, so chances were that he didn't need to over there to find out what was occurring. It would most likely go through the grapevine before meeting him at the lunch room. Tsukune's brow furrowed and despite his reluctance to not intervene in what was happening, he did manage to hear a single name that drew his attention immediately.

Hyoudou Issei.

If he didn't know better – and he could argue damn well that he did – Hyoudou Issei should have never showed up to school today – or any day for that matter. And yet from what he could hear, the insanely perverted boy was in the school, which made him a walking impossibility. Not many would understand his meaning and he wasn't one to express how he was feeling on any subject that held personal connection to himself, but even he understood that dead men didn't walk. So the fact that Hyoudou Issei – his reluctant friend for a lack of better word – was still breathing when he knew for a damn fact that his heart was pierced confused him more than he would have liked to admit. Then again, one could argue that he had no right to talk about having the right to live when he had shared the same fate moments before it occurred to Issei.

He smiled weakly. He was no fool. His heart had stopped beating the moment that woman with the spear of light impaled him. He had felt his blood, the precious blood that she gave him, seeping in between the cracks of the concrete and he had been staring into the abyss that all others saw when their death was coming. He had only stayed alive long enough to see that Issei had been murdered as well. Or at least he had so believed until word spread that the pervert was still attending. It made him chuckle softly. Two good for nothing average Japanese men had become walking impossibilities, and in his case, more than three times. He clenched his fists. He'd deny if anyone asked, but the fact that Issei had survived that horrible deal made his heart beat little easier.

When he had woken up next to that fountain, still in a pool of his own blood, he had broken down in tremendous grief. He could vaguely remember his trembling fingers, clenching and unclenching, soaked in the blood of the only person he had deemed worthy enough to be something more than just a casual acquaintance. He had denied it at first when he realized that Issei's corpse wasn't in the park. But the vampire blood, that elixir of power, had given him many abilities and enhanced his senses. That blood held Issei's scent all over it, confirming his theory that that terrible night was not in fact a dream, but a deranged reality. He had returned home after cleaning up the mess, filled with the terrible ache he likened to military men that came to the family of a fallen comrade to tell them the terrible news. He had intended to go immediately to Issei's house to explain to his parents that the perverted boy would never come home. But the fear of denial and grief from a distraught family had forced him to avoid that particular mission and he went to bed, his dreams filled with nightmares.

His whole body sagged in relief and his shoulders no longer looked like they bore a heavy weight. He could make out Issei's scent from his position. The boy was alive with a strong pulse and even greater heart, a walking impossibility one might say. Tsukune had never been more grateful for impossibilities. The boy should have been dead, but he was not. And despite how happy he was that the boy survived, Tsukune knew that it couldn't have been the case. The boy was _human_, he had no astounding power to notice and he himself was no vampire so the possibility that he had donated blood to Hyoudou Issei was highly unlikely. He dragged his thumb across his arm before pulling it to his throat, taking a gentle feel of his pulse. He himself in all rights should have died. But he had an excuse. He should have been dead, but the possibility of his vampire blood saving him was highly likely. When he had transformed into a temporary vampire, he had gained incredible regeneration, almost to the point where even the most fatal of hits only had him unconscious for a couple of hours at best and he was good as new.

A minor, barely noticeable feeling of discomfort touched him the moment the sun's rays came into contact with his skin and his lips formed into a scowl. "Tch, I don't feel good at all." His body hadn't been the same since last night. The sun had drained him to an extremely small extent due to the latent vampire blood in his veins, but never to the extent he felt now. His shoulders felt heavy and it was difficult to keep his eyes open sometimes. Even as injured as he was, there was no excuse to almost fall asleep while walking to school. It was ridiculous and it made him feel weak. He hated that feeling. He hated that feeling more than anything in the world with a passion worthy of the devil himself. He stood up, brushing off some grass from his slacks.

Chances were that Issei was going to class today and if the boy was as naïve as he had once been, there was no doubt that he'd start asking questions on why Tsukune himself had survived the encounter and that was something he held no desire to explain to anyone, much less a human. Still, if he went to class, he might able to discover how Issei himself had gained the strength to revive himself, and more importantly, why he felt it was smart to leave Tsukune alone in a pool of blood. Honestly, what if the cops came to investigate and found him like that? He rolled his shoulders and shrugged. In all honesty, he really didn't care. Issei was alive and so was he. He didn't need to question it. If he started to question it, he would question what exactly a fallen angel was, and if he even started to think about that, he'd be dragged back into a world that had kicked him out for his weakness, and as much as he loved his former friends, it wasn't worth returning to them just to get more heartbreak. He had been a shield for his friends, despite his lack of power.

But now he was alone and he could feel power in his veins. Friends were unnecessary. All they did was use you and leave you broken at the end.

"Ohayo, Aono-san."

There weren't many people that had the gall to interrupt his brooding and if someone did interrupt him, it was usually a teacher or hall monitor that tried to convince him to attend his classes. But sometimes it happened to be someone else entirely.

The first time had been one of the many secretaries of the student council. She had come to question him on his disgustingly high amount of absences from class and received nothing for her efforts. He had learned in the past several weeks that people tended to leave him alone if he refused to answer their questions. Unfortunately, this wasn't the easy to push away secretary that had come to bother him. His eyes crinkled in slight discomfort from the sun, but even he could make out the gorgeous women that were the president of the student council, Sona Shitori, and the vice president, Shinra Tsubaki. The president offered a small, polite, smile down at him.

"Shitori-san, Shinra-san," the young man grunted softly, adjusting from his slouched position against the tree. "I wasn't expecting a visit from the student council today." His brown eyes held a small pinch of suspicion. "Is there anything I can help you with, Seitokaicho-san."

"You haven't been attending class, Aono-san." Sona stated bluntly and Tsukune almost smiled. She certainly didn't waste any time. He could almost see why she was president. "Your amount of unexcused absences from class overweigh your actual attendance. By all rights, the administration should have already filed for your expulsion."

Tsukune whistled softly. Had this been a year before, the chances that he would be running around like a chicken with its head cut off would be astoundingly high. But this was not last year, and he wasn't the same kid as before so he only shrugged. He wasn't really surprised. He had expected an official reprimand a week ago. Still, he had expected a reprimand from an official, not a warning from the student council president of all people.

The relationship he had with Sona would appear to be rather complex from an outside observer, but in all actuality, it was quite simple. It had started only a week after his first day in attendance at Kuoh. He had been in one of his moods, which was rather worse in comparison due to his emotions nowadays, when he had met one of the Four Onee-sama. It had been an odd meeting and one that didn't create what could be called a friendship. He had started to skip class after his first week and had been moving through the hallways when he caught sight of a group of young men confessing their love for her. The girl was clearly irritated and uncomfortable, but it seemed that no amount of protest on her part would get them to leave her alone without her doing something rash. At first, he was just going to let it go and leave. He had seen the same thing happen to Kurumu and Moka all the time and the male students usually left easy enough after several no's and a kick to the face. But that was in a monster school where stuff like that was free game. It was that line of thought that had sent him moving to help her escape. He would later swear he didn't do it out of the kindness of his heart, but he doubted anyone would believe him.

It had been relatively easy to get the group of guys away. All it took was some warning that a teacher was heading their way and they were quick to scram, oddly reminding him of cockroaches. It was a simple solution, but for someone as average as he was, usually the simple approach was best. After dealing with the perverts as he so fondly called them, he had meant to leave without saying a word to her. To his dissatisfaction and no small amount of annoyance, she had stopped him with the intention to thank him. But when she realized who he was, that thanks turned into something that had let to their strange relationship. In return for his help with the idiots, Sona would give him some small leeway when it came to skipping class with the promise that he would play chess with her in exchange. With no interest in spending his time around others, he had agreed. At best they could be called acquaintances that played chess with one another on occasion.

"I imagine I have put you in a tight position." He said softly.

Despite not at all desiring companionship, he still valued others. He appreciated what Sona did for him on a constant basis and didn't want her to suffer for it. The fact that she spoke to him when others didn't put her on a pedestal that only Issei shared.

As he looked at the stern face of the student council president, all he realized was that despite his many sacrifices, he'd always end up hurting someone, be it physically, mentally, or even through their job. He was just that kind of person.

"If the administration should have filed for my expulsion, then why haven't they?" he asked with a lazy smile that seemed to hide most of his emotions.

Tsubaki offered her elder companion a questioning nod, as if wondering the same thing. Had it been another student, they would have been expelled the moment word reached the administration. It wasn't like them to let things like this go.

Sona shook her head and needed no further encouragement the moment those words left Tsukune's lips. She offered him a slender hand and he took it without hesitation. There was something in her eyes that hinted at something he was unaware of. And he wasn't so foolish not to believe that she wouldn't capitalize on it. He highly doubted that she became the president of the student council by being kind and sweet to everyone. No, she was the kind of girl that go there through rough politics, high popularity, and the ability to manipulate others to suit her needs. It was a cold logic he disapproved of most of the time, considering his past experience of manipulation, but he could not deny the results Sona gained from it. Besides, manipulation for a school position didn't really compare to his own experience.

She pushed her glasses up her nose. "I do not feel that discussing your behavior amongst others would be appropriate, don't you agree?" she sighed softly at the disturbingly large amount of eyes that watched the discussion eagerly. That was the pain of being a celebrity. "If you are so inclined to agree, I would prefer to have this discussion in the student council room for privacy."

Tsukune nodded. "If that is what you feel is best, Shitori-san." He had noticed the ever growing crowd as well and mentally berated himself. He had no business even walking with one of the Four Great Ladies of Kuoh Academy. Their status was equal to Moka and Kurumu's own on the social ladder. Gossip would be spread quickly because of this incident. "Please lead the way then. I really don't want to have to endure this anymore than you have to."

Sona laughed in amusement. "If you ignore them, I can promise that most of them will go away, Aono-san. If you are uncomfortable now, then I cannot imagine how you would endure in my position." She paused, taking the moment to give Tsubaki a small order. " Tsubaki, please inform Saji to keep away from the council room until further notice. I do not wish for him to get the wrong idea and overreact because of Aono-san's presence."

"He only does it because he cares," Tsubaki hummed before walking away toward the school building. "I will make sure he doesn't cause any trouble. Have a good rest of the day, Aono-san." Tsukune almost believed she was pleased with the idea before his sensitive ears caught her dark mutterings. "Now how am I supposed to go about doing this without hurting the pervert?"

"Overeager admirer?"

"You have no idea," Sona agreed reluctantly. She could only hope that her most recent pawn could control himself around other male she had deemed worthy to be in her presence. His crush on her wasn't unknown and his reactions because of it were ultimately severe. Had he been in the right mind, he may have noticed that she did not return his affections. But he was a pervert, and perverts never got the message even after they were severely punished for it. "Come along then, Aono-san. If you wish to skip class, then at least do something productive with your free period."

…**..**

"Checkmate." Sona declared softly after swiftly disabling his king with her knight. A game that had lasted for more than three hours had come to an end.

The student council room was far different than any of the other club rooms that Kuoh Academy generously hosted. Unlike the white tile and dull carpet that encompassed most of the building, the council room was fitted with deep crimson carpets and snow white walls covered with expensive wallpaper and decorations. Tsukune watched in dull amusement as his king was not so gently pushed off the board, his eyes uncaring as he munched cheerfully on his ramen. Due to his technical absence, he had no reason to appear in the lunchroom lest his teachers finally caught him and brought him to the brig, otherwise known as the detention room. Detention was okay in most cases, but it usually ended up labeling people as degenerates and wastes to society. They were the worst of the worst. Even Hyoudou Issei hadn't been sent to detention despite his perversion, and had he been sent before the king of perverts, he would have ate his shoes.

That was most likely an exaggeration on his part. Or not. He really didn't care otherwise, but apparently Sona did. The president in her infinite power had ordered one of her subordinates – Momo, he believed – to pick up a small lunch to serve them for the rest of the school day. Tsukune was a healthy boy all things considering and ate a lot for his age, but apparently people higher up on the social latter had a different approach to eating, or it could have just been Sona. When Momo had returned, he had learned that what Sona identified as a small lunch could feed most families for a week. He had spent the better part of the chess game gaping as she demolished her lunch while still maintaining the aristocratic air of a noble befitting of her status. He would have asked how so much food fit in such a tiny body, but he restricted himself from asking the question. He may have been a socially awkward teenager, but even he understood that commenting on a woman's eating habits was asking for death. Considering how much money and influence the student council president possessed, vampire blood or not, he would probably disappear and the authorities would find his body in a ditch.

"If that's everything, Shitori-san, I should probably be leaving –"

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"We will be having another game." She said solemnly and Tsukune could only look at her incredulously. Could she legally hold him here against his will? "And we will discuss not only your deplorable habit of not attending class but your role at this academy as well here."

Tsukune's eyes narrowed. "My role?"

She nodded. "Sit," her purple eyes traveled to Momo who was dutifully searching through a list of files before pulling out a manila folder with his name on it. From the amount of red he could see from some papers that were peeking out on the ends, he was probably in deep trouble. He didn't miss the rather suspicious paper that had _attendance_ in bold lettering. His mother would have a field day when she saw just how much he appreciated his new school.

Their new game started almost immediately. Souna's chess set was rather interesting in comparison to the many others Tsukune saw at game stores or even classic antiques. The chess pieces she had on her side were red. That in itself would not be all that unusual had they not been glowing before his very eyes. The student council room blinds were not open so that meant that the sun was not shining on them and casting that illusion. They looked – felt – alive. His white pieces were simply that. They were ordinary and did not seem that special in comparison to their red counterparts. He frowned. He didn't exactly understand why he was making a big deal of it. He had seen monsters and everything that went bump in the night so glowing chess pieces weren't that odd. Maybe they were a new custom set? It wouldn't surprise him giving Souna's aristocratic background.

Cool as ice, Souna began the game with a swiftness unparalleled by anyone he had played in the past. Whenever he moved a piece, she already had one to move in and take it. It was almost as if she knew exactly where he'd place a piece and how he would move it. "Tell me, Aono-san, what can you tell me about the fifteen pieces of chess?"

"Well in numbers, there is the [Queen] who only holds a single piece, the [Rook] which holds two, the [Bishop] that holds two, the [Knight] which holds two, and the [Pawn] that holds eight pieces. All the pieces are used in order to protect the [King] while slaying the opposing one." He replied honestly with the innocence of a child. He didn't play chest often and only knew the basics. "But that is common knowledge that everyone knows. I imagine you were looking for a different answer?"

Souna nodded in disappointment. "Indeed. I expected someone of your caliber to realize the true importance of each piece, but then again, I'm not entirely surprised either." Tsukune was pretty sure there was a backhanded insult in there. Souna grasped the [Queen] piece. " It seems I will have to educate you on the matter. Think of chess as real life. It will help you understand what I am attempting to do." At his nod, she continued. "If chess was real life, I would be the [King] piece and the student council my peerage of pieces."

Tsukune smiled. "Wouldn't you be the [Queen] rather than the [King]?"

"Gender is of no importance." Souna dismissed his question as if she was expecting it. "The [King] is who gives the orders and is the most valuable piece. Without the [King], chaos would run rampant just like the Student Council would if I was not there." She twirled the [Queen] piece in her fingers. "Seeing as how I am the [King] due to my status as the President, my [Queen] would be Tsubaki. The [Queen] has all the characteristics of every piece and serves as the [King's] most valuable asset. Without the [Queen], there can be no chess game."

"I think I see where you are going with this." He picked up his own [Rook] before presenting it to her. "How about this piece then? What purpose does it serve?"

"Think of the [Rook] as Yura Tsubasa." Souna explained easily. "She is a secretary of the Student Council yet she does more of the heavy lifting than anything else. She is not the fastest person around but I would argue that she is one of the strongest girls we have in this school. In that manner, she is exactly like [Rook]. [Rooks] are not fast but they are heavy hitters and extremely useful if you can focus them on a single enemy of equal speed rather than a fast moving one such as a [Queen]." She placed the [Rook] down and replaced it with a [Bishop]. "[Bishop's] are perhaps the fourth most valuable piece of the game and without them, a peerage can be crippled easily. They move in a single direction and if used incorrectly, it would take a lot of time for them to recover. Can you think of anyone that would be a real life example of a [Bishop]?"

Tsukune chuckled, recalling a memory that had occurred during his first day. "Would Momo-san be the equivalent of a [Bishop] in real life? She has a single mindset and if she's moved in the wrong direction, the results would catastrophic for her. Does the cafeteria incident ring a bell?"

"The amount of paperwork I had to deal with does," Souna glowered. That was a day she wanted to erase from history, if only to save her the embarrassment. "Despite the disgusting memories you brought forth, you are indeed correct. Momo is an amazing asset and great support if she is used correctly, making her the ideal [Bishop]. We may move on to the other pieces." She picked up one of the pawns she had managed to strip from him early on in the game. "This piece that you carelessly wasted is perhaps the most importance piece of the game. The [Pawn] is the piece that can decide between endless victory or truest defeat."

"I don't think most people would believe that." Tsukune admitted ruefully. "As a matter of fact, I'm not exactly sure I believe that. The [Pawn] is very limited in what it is able to do. Sure, it can take out a [Bishop] or [Rook] if it's in the right place, but that depends mainly on luck more than anything else." He stopped talking immediately as a realization hit his mind. "Unless you can get the [Pawn] to the other side of the board…"

"… and have it use Promotion." Souna finished with a pleased smile. "The [Pawn] is similar to the [Queen] in that it can possess all the traits of each chess piece if it able to move into enemy territory without being taken down. Most do not see its value, but if someone were able to get four of their eight pawn onto the other side of the board and promote them to [Queens], the game would be over from sheer domination. If I were to consider anyone in the Student Council a [Pawn], Saji would be the number one contender. Despite his idiocy, he does have the capacity to learn and use his skills well as long as he had the correct motivation, making his character ideal for a [Pawn]."

"I guess I made a mistake wasting my [Pawns]." He said with amusement, referring to the game he had lost before this one. "The [Pawn] shouldn't be used recklessly and each one you possess is extremely valuable. If that isn't great advice, I have no idea what is. But I have to ask, Shitori-san, why are you telling me all of this? You said you wanted me here because you wanted to talk about my role in the school and all you've explained to me is how to play chess."

"The final piece I shall explain to you is the [Knight]." Souna said, deliberately ignoring his query. "This is your ideal piece and the physical representation I have of _you _while you move around my school." That stopped any protests on his part almost immediately. The reason I brought you here was to discuss your role and I am doing so by using chess pieces."

Her words struck him and he felt bad for even questioning her on it. Patience wasn't a virtue of his and whatever patience he had gained was left at his other school. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, offering her an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, Shitori-san. I didn't meant to sound disrespectful."

She focused her eyes on the [Knight]. "You are forgiven because that is one of the traits that identify you as a [Knight]. You are chivalrous in nature even when you want others to think otherwise." His eyes went cold. He went deliberately out of his way not to help people nowadays to avoid others. It seems that the times he failed to ignore that urge cost him greatly. "[Knights] are mobile and agile. They are warriors that are difficult to face due to the sheer randomness they possess. You, Aono-san, are unpredictable and difficult to read. Forgive my intrusion, but you hide your true nature. You are fast, wickedly so, as a [Knight] should be, and yet you possess the strength of a [Rook]. You are someone who enjoys helping others but hates being restricted by authority. However, if that authority proves worthy of you, you do everything you can to ensure the peace."

"You don't know me." he whispered.

"Your role in life, in this school, is the role of the [Knight]. You live to protect the [King], be it a person or ideal you follow, and you give every breath you have to protect it. Hyoudou Issei is an example of this." His eyes widened. "Despite his role as a perverted nobody, you strive to protect him because he serves as an ideal, a [King] you follow. Do not think that I am unaware of how you save him from the Kendo Club on a constant basis."

He looked up with tired eyes. "What do you want from me?"

"I have no need of you." Souna continued without a beat. "You interest me and I felt it correct to give you some aid on what you will face later. Had circumstances been better, I would have taken you myself and explained everything more clearly. But unfortunately, I must leave that to another who is in a higher position than you are."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.

Souna's eyes locked on the door to the student council room. It didn't take long for Tsukune to realize that someone was coming. The door opened and the two were graced with the visage of Yuuto Kiba walking in without invitation. But from Souna's reluctant nod, Tsukune doubted that he even needed an invitation. "Aono-san, Yuuto-san is here to take you to the person who will have responsibility for you from now on. Any misdemeanors on your part reflect on her so try to attend class."

The boy tensed. "What kind of business does the _Handsome Prince_ of Kuoh have with me and why do I have to follow him, Shitori-san? What is going on?"

"Konnichiwa, Aono-san." Kiba greeted warmly as if he didn't notice the suspicion being blasted at him like raw killing intent. "I am here on behalf of Rias Gremory-senpai."

"Rias Gremory…" Tsukune muttered in acknowledgement. He knew that name. How could he not considering she was one of, if not the most popular girl in the school. She was the supposed President of the Occult Research Club for the past three years. Tsukune had considered joining the club before he realized that he had already seen the unnatural and that the Club itself was probably a sham. Rumor had it that Rias came from Northern Europe considering her lack of Japanese looks. "Is there a reason Gremory-san wants me? It's not everyday someone gets an invitation from the likes of her."

Kiba smiled. "Would you follow me? Buchou will explain everything once you meet her personally." The lack of concern in his tone almost made him snort. Tsukune's lack of thinking almost got him killed once before. Did Kiba really think that just because the most popular girl in the school wanted to see him that he would jump up like a dog? "Hyoudou-kun is already there waiting for us."

_Dammit._

…**..**

"What is this room?"

Aono Tsukune and Hyoudou Issei stood behind Kiba as he gently rapped his knuckles against the sliding doors of what was originally the old school building. It didn't take long before an unspoken signal reached Kiba and he opened the doors. From the interior alone, Tsukune couldn't exactly blame Issei for his question.

Shiny wood floors greeted their vision and at the back end of the room was a large chalkboard that told the two new members that this room was originally a classroom. In front of the chalkboard was a large desk filled with many documents and the surrounding desks all held some sort of decoration that Tsukune oddly related to his former school. No normal club had skulls on desks or walls covered in strange symbols. But then again, this was the Occult Research Club so maybe it was part of their foray. They even had what looked like a summoning circle on the other side of the room.

Wait a second.

Tsukune didn't notice the sharp fangs peeking out from under his lips as he openly bared his teeth in frustration and surprise. That circle didn't resemble a circle for summoning. It was a demonic summoning circle. The only reason he identified it correctly was due to the fact that both monster and human culture were taught at Yokai Academy. A small crunching sound sounded off in his right ear and he looked over to the corner and found a small white haired girl sitting on a couch munching on sweets. Wait – that was first year Toujou Koneko, wasn't it? He had never seen anyone else with such hazel colored eyes and snow white hair. His hostility almost faded when his eyes caught sight of two cat shaped hair clips in her hair. There was something oddly fitting about them but he couldn't figure out what. He raised an eyebrow at Issei's choked voice.

"T-that girl is…" Issei's eyes were wide in amazed fascination. It reminded Tsukune of fan boys going off on their idol… wait a minute… _dammit._

Kiba confirmed Tsukune's belief. "This Toujou Koneko-san, a first year student." The girl blinked before turning her attention away from her sweets to her sempai. "Koneko-san, this is Hyoudou Issei-kun, and Aono Tsukune-san of class 2-B."

Issei greeted her enthusiastically. "Oh! It's nice to meet you, Koneko-chan!" he didn't hear Tsukune chuckle in amusement. The perverted boy was focused on what was probably the epitome of loli._ That petite physique… the ultimate loli! Ha! Take that Motohama, Matsuda! I'm in the same club as the school mascot! The one that everyone has a thing for! Oh what I would –_ "Ouch! Dammit Tsukune!"

"No perving." Tsukune responded dryly.

Issei sputtered with horrified eyes. "B-but she's – s-she's…"

"No."

"I hate you."

Koneko gave Issei a dry stare, her treats momentarily forgotten. "Hentai-sempai." Her tone was monotone and dry. For Issei, it was the equivalent to a slap in the face and the poor boy slumped in disappointment, violently cursing his friend for pointing out his perverted antics. The four were interrupted from the sound of a shower being turned off and both boys found the situation incredibly strange.

Issei grinned. "This… is art! Those beautiful lines are a work of art in and of themselves!" it didn't take a genius to figure out what Issei was referring to and for the first time, Tsukune found him hard pressed to disagree. He had met many beautiful woman, but almost none of them possessed the curves of the woman behind the shower curtain. The fact that there was a shower in the middle of a clubroom didn't register with either of the boys.

"I've brought your clothes, Buchou." A sultry voice sounded off and Tsukune could only blink in astonishment as another female appeared, this one as beautiful as the girl behind the curtain. She was gorgeous with her pale skin and luscious black hair neatly tied in a proper ponytail. Her body was certainly more endowed than anyone he had ever known, not that he noticed. Her eyes were a violet color and she offered him a benign smile that gave her the appearance of a Yamato Nadeshiko.

The sound of dripping water filled his ears and he could make out the familiar voice of what he recognized as the most popular girl in school. "Ah, thank you, Akeno."

_I knew it was Rias-buchou!_ Issei raged in excitement, comically spinning in what looked like a super sentai team maneuver. "What a fantastic clubroom this is! This is completely –"

" – what a creepy face."

Issei almost face faulted and Tsukune didn't bother hiding his grin of amusement or the chuckles that threaten to turn into full blown laughs. This guy was simply too much. It was hard to be depressing and mean when comic relief like this existed.

"Ara, ara," the woman identified as Akeno smiled kindly from her corner. Her violet eyes twinkled as she walked forward with a mature air around her. "You two are the newest club members right?" Tsukune blinked in surprise and Issei nodded with a proud _yes_.

That was news to him. He didn't sign up to join any club and there was no way that Souna signed him up because he was with her for the majority of the day. But from the expectant looks sent his way, he forced an answer out of his mouth. "Apparently…"

Akeno's smile widened and she bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm the club's vice president, Himejima Akeno. Please take care of me." Everything about her screamed proper and formal and Tsukune found that he didn't have it in him to rebuke her. From her mannerism alone, she was a Yamato Nadeshiko.

Issei didn't leer at her, rather a light blush coated his cheeks instead. He hadn't been expecting such a formal greeting either. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, cursing himself for not paying attention to all those etiquette lessons his mother had tried to teach him. "I-I'm Hyoudou Issei. Nice to meet you too, sempai."_ Sh-she has black hair and a ponytail, a rare sight nowadays. The ultimate, ideal, Japanese female figure filled with tenderness. Is this really one of the two great idols of the academy, the one that's second place to Rias-senpai_. He sighed in contentment. "What a great club…"

Tsukune swallowed and cursed his hormones. Despite the fact that he really shouldn't care, he was still a teenager. All those times he had with Kurumu had built a resistance to things like this, but it seemed without her constant pressing his face into her bust, that resistance had become nulled from underuse. He almost wanted to cry. He didn't want to be a pervert like Issei, but his hormones definitely wanted to. Sometimes he hated his life. Still, the woman had offered him a greeting and the polite thing to do would be to respond.

He bowed back. "I'm Aono Tsukune of class 2B. It's a pleasure to meet you, Himejima-sempai. Please take care of me." it was as formal as he could muster. He had been under the impression that an average good for nothing Japanese kid wouldn't need to know proper etiquettes._ I guess that's karma coming back to get me, huh?_

"Thank you for waiting for me."

Everyone turned to find Rias Gremory drying her hair with a white towel. Unsurprisingly, she was astoundingly beautiful, just as much or even more so than her vice president. It filled the young Aono with a sense of warning. What were the chances that he would meet two women – three if you counted that lady that had almost killed him the night before – that were as beautiful as Moka? It was the telltale sign of every bad story. Beautiful women usually led to situations that ended up hurting. A lot. The amount of scars on his body were proof of that.

The red haired woman greeted them kindly. "I'm sorry. I spent the night at your place, Issei, so I had to wash up a little."

Tsukune wasn't sure he heard that right. A small twitch gathered in his left eye but he refused to comment. What had Issei been doing last night? How does one go about getting stabbed by their crazy girlfriend to having the most popular girl apparently sleeping at their house. And if the way she said that was any indication, she slept in the same room? He guessed that even perverts had to get lucky every once in a while.

Issei shook his head. "O-oh no, I don't mind at all."_ Damn right I don't! That situation was really awkward with Tou-san and Kaa-san, but I won't deny that there is no better way to wake up in the morning._

"Well, everyone is here now." Rias said cheerfully as she deposited her towel in a nearby wastebasket. It didn't take long for her to sit in the chair at the large desk at the back of the room. It was rather fitting for a president. "We welcome you to the Occult Research Club, Issei, Aono-san – may I call you Tsukune instead?"

Tsukune blinked. "Sure."

"Thank you," she replied before giving everyone a once over. The already established members of the Occult Research Club nodded in agreement. "You have come here with the impression that you were joining a normal student organization. Had it been run by humans –" Tsukune's eyes widened. " –then that would most certainly be the case. But, the Occult Research Club isn't a real club at all. It is a mere façade. Nothing more than a common hobby we all share."

Tsukune's muscles tensed unconsciously as her words repeated in his mind like a mantra. The most prominent,_ Had it been run by humans._ His hands bled. It wasn't possible. This couldn't be happening to him again. What were the chances that something like this could occur?

Issei perked up. "What do you mean?"

The room darkened and the light shone on Rias ominously. She crossed her arms with a small smirk on her lips. Her red hair seemed to glow in the darkness. "I'll be frank. We are all Devils." That almost Tsukune for a loop. He had been expecting the word,_ yōkai_, not Devil. Weren't those two words interchangeable?

Issei blinked. A recent memory came to mind and he couldn't help the nervous chuckle that escaped his lips. "Th-that was indeed very frank." Oh sweet kami. He clutched his head. What the hell was that? No, that didn't matter. It was the same situation all over again, wasn't it?_ Would you please die for me?_

If Rias noticed Tsukune's shaking fists or Issei's swelling fear, she didn't say anything regarding it, instead keeping her attention focused on Issei's eyes. "The black winged man you saw yesterday was a _Fallen Angel_." She noticed with some satisfaction that her words brought recognition to their eyes. Her eyes lingered on the blood dripping from Tsukune's hands.

_I do not think you understand the situation you have walked on so I'll give you a chance to leave me and my dear Issei-kun to our business. It is unwise to interfere in the affair of fallen angels._

Tsukune's blood roared in his ears and a searing pain shot through his wrist where the holy lock was hidden under his sleeve. It felt as if the gold colored metal was burning his skin. That word, Fallen Angel, said shivers down his spine and made his blood roar for vengeance. That woman that had failed in killing Issei and himself was a fallen angel. And apparently, Issei had run into another one without seeing fit to tell him about it. This Devil knew….

Rias continued. "Once angels serving God, they were cast down to the underworld to their wicked nature. They're trying to manipulate humans and destroy us Devils. Since primeval times, there's been a constant struggle for dominance in the underworld, or Hell, as the humans call it." It seems that she had the boys full attention. "There are also normal Angels, the ones you two might recognize as the _good_ and _pure_ ones of the Bible. They come here on God's orders to hunt Devils. In simple terms, the three factions, The Fallen Angels, The Devils, and The Angels of Heaven, are stuck in a three-way standoff. Do you two follow me so far?"

Tsukune didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. He couldn't understand how this was relevant to him. He didn't understand why this woman – this Devil – sought it fit to tell them this information. It made his heart warm to hear that God was real – it would explain his survival the past couple years – but why reveal themselves now? Was it because they were attacked by one of the other factions?

Issei scratched the back of his head nervously. "Ano, this is getting kind of too complicated for a stupid high school student like me and I don't think Tsukune likes this either."

Rias smiled darkly. "Amano Yuuma."

Issei gasped and Tsukune only closed his eyes in response to that name. For Issei, it was a change in pace and a shock he didn't need to his already broken heart. For the past two days, no one believed in Amano Yuuma and now someone told him that she really existed. For Tsukune, it was a reminder of how he had failed that night – almost as bad as he had failed her – and his crushing defeat at the hands of the fallen angel that posed as Issei's girlfriend.

Rias idly scratched her nails. "I'm sure you remember her, Issei." She leaned back into her chair in a small attempt to get more comfortable. "You two shared a romantic evening, after all." Tsukune wanted to scream at her but found that he couldn't. The pervert was on the verge of breaking down. The way the boy's eyes got blank as the memories of his girlfriend filled his visage sent a fire in Tsukune. He had no stock in friends, but it didn't change what Issei was to him. And his friend was hurting.

Issei gritted his teeth, his perverted nature disappearing in an instant. "I-I have no idea where you've heard that name, but don't you dare treat it as some occult phenomenon. It's really starting to piss me off. Sorry, but I think I should just leave…" the boy made to do exactly that when Rias slid a photo across the table, a photo he recognized. "Yuuma-chan…" he whispered.

"She was there. There is no doubt about it." Rias revealed. She pointed at the beautiful girl in the photo with a serious expression. "That girl in the photo, she's your Amano Yuuma-chan, right?"

_You already know,_ Tsukune thought darkly._ What's the point in making him hurt like this? Why is the supernatural coming back? Why am I being brought into this world again?_

Issei nodded frantically. "Y-yes, but h – how did you get this?"

"That girl… no I should rephrase that. That Fallen Angel is a member of the same faction that assaulted you last night and is the same woman that attacked you and Tsukune the night before that."

"B-but no one remembered her! What the hell is going on?" Issei stood up, surprising Tsukune and everyone else for that matter with his anger. "Everything! Her cellphone, her email – all of it doesn't exist!"

Rias nodded in agreement. "Indeed, Issei. But the reason for all that is because she used her powers to erase her existence. It's a power similar to the one I used on your parents so that the situation earlier would go more smoothly."

Issei sat back down in a daze._ My parents were never that understanding. Is that how she got them to look away from it? By hypnotizing them?_

"One that Fallen Angel completed her mission, she erased all the memories and records of it from you and everyone you loved and knew."

Issei blinked. "Mission?"

Tsukune spoke up. "Her mission was to kill him, wasn't it?" he asked softly. His hair shadowed his eyes and no one saw a single fang poke out from under his lips. Only the magically adept felt that something was off about his presence. Had they been able to see his eyes, they might have noticed the red glow that surrounded his brown orbs.

"Yes," Rias answered grimly. "Issei, she came to check whether you have a certain dangerous object in your body. You were killed once the truth was confirmed and Tsukune followed as a result of being a bystander trying to help."

Issei seemed unsurprised by the fact that he had died and so did Tsukune. Or at least he appeared to be on the outside._ So it wasn't my vampire blood that save me. I really did die._ It was a terrifying thought but not really an unpleasant one. He had died once before and it had been for a good cause. Dying a second time for a similar reason made it all the more acceptable. But the fact that he _died_ but was apparently still _breathing_ didn't sit well with him. He had many theories on why he was still alive. But what he didn't understand was how Issei still lived.

Issei's eyes darkened. "Now I remember. Yuuma-chan talked about a Sa-something. She said it was important, that it was the reason that I had to die."

Rias nodded in approval. "It is called a Sacred Gear."

Akeno shook her head. "It is an unusual power that resides in certain humans with unparalleled qualities that set them apart from others. It is said that _most_ of the greatest men in history possessed some sort of Sacred Gear that aided them in their endeavors."

"Sometimes, they have power strong enough to threaten the likes of both Devils and Fallen Angels." Rias finished quietly. She offered an apologetic smile before focusing her attention on just Issei. "Issei, raise your left hand." She settled into the seat with a strange look on her face.

Issei nodded hesitantly and did as she asked. "Like this?"

"Close your eyes and imagine the strongest being that comes to mind."

Tsukune crossed his arms, but did nothing to prevent Issei from doing as she said. Rias Gremory claimed that Issei had been murdered because of his Sacred Gear. These Sacred Gears have appeared in some of the greatest men of history and probably created a good deal of legends because of them. If Issei had one, and it was capable of combating Fallen Angels, then she was probably drying to draw it out from inside him so he could utilize it. Tsukune clenched his fist. Issei could then train and use his Sacred Gear to protect himself while Tsukune utilized… his own talents. Today proved that he had become nothing more than a slacker. He would have to use his vampire power.

Issei chuckled weakly. "This is kind of weird and a little too sudden…" He felt like one of those awkward anime characters ready to transform into their alter ego."

"Focus, Issei."

"Hai!"

He closed his eyes and attempted to focus. The mantra of focus repeated in his head like a pair of bells but his perverted nature prevented him from getting too far. The sight of Rias Gremory's black lace panties were a little too much for the pervert. "I can't concentrate." He said dejectedly. "Maybe it was a mistake?"

Rias shook her head in disagreement. "It is a fact that the Fallen Angels feared your Sacred Gear and had you killed for it. We can take things slow."

Issei stood up frantically. "B-but if it is really true that I died, how come I'm actually alive?" he demanded, unknowingly voicing the same question Tsukune had been asking himself since this discussion started. He was a little disappointed that Issei couldn't draw out this Sacred Gear they spoke of, but the boy had redeemed himself with that intelligent question.

But it seemed that Rias had an answer for everything and revealed to them a single flyer. It bore no recognition to Tsukune, but it was obvious from Issei's wide eyes that he knew exactly what it was. "You summoned me from this flyer just moments before you and Tsukune died."

Both boys only remembered a single, distinctive memory from their death. For Issei, it had been her amazingly beautiful red hair. For Tsukune, it had been the comparison of her red locks and Inner Moka's tempting red eyes.

She smiled. "Issei, Tsukune, you've been reborn into the Household of Rias Gremory, daughter of Duke Gremory, a High Class Devil." A strange wind picked up as black bat like wings spread from her back.

"Rejoice because you have been given new life… as my new servants that is."


End file.
